The Fedora Despensable?

I noticed in the books such as The Dance Of The Giants Indy makes quotes such as "...The Hat is replaceable..." I remember reading firmiliar passages in the novels. It kinda threw me off a little bit because is Indy's Hat really replaceable? Its the trademark, in TOD he risked his arm to save the hat. I just don't think he would casually say something like that. Just an observation.

Interesting observation about the character IJ.

I too, when considering the character of Indiana Jones, have often wondered not only about the hat, but the whip as well....even the Webley.

He does go to great lengths to save his hat in some of the movie scenes doesn't he.

I'm not trying to usurp this thread, but I've got to mention my own recent Indiana Jones fiction in order to illustrate my point.

As I was writing, I kept knocking into a certain problem over and over again. That problem was the whip, the gun, and the hat....and how the heck he can hold on to all of them throughout the adventure.

It's really a problem!! I mean you just can't have him doing all kinds of wild stuff, and confronting (and sometimes being captured by) bad guys, and still be able to hold on to all of those items.

In my story he actually loses his whip, and even the holster for his Webley, and purchases replacements for both. He keeps his hat, but that's only because during segments of the story where he might lose it, I purposely ommitted any mention of it. But if he had lost it, I would have just bought him a new one.

So for any would be Indiana Jones fiction writer, I personally think that all three items are replaceable.

Which brings me to the somewhat interesting story of how I lost my own hat to Indiana Jones.

(apologies for making this post too long and going way off topic, I promise I won't do it again.)

It was several years back. I was at Disneyland with the kids and preparing to ride on the famous (and at that time relatively new) Indiana Jones ride for the first time. I was wearing my Los Angeles Dodgers baseball cap. As we strapped into our seats one of the Disneyland guys told me that I needed to take off my hat or I was going to lose it. Being the rebel against any kind of authority that I am I said "yeah, yeah, whatever", and simply pulled it down tighter. Well, about 10 seconds into the ride the blow guns start blasting us and whoosh! ...there goes my cap.

So Indiana Jones owes me a hat!!

Thats a great perspective. Thanks Monkey!

monkey said:

It's really a problem!! I mean you just can't have him doing all kinds of wild stuff, and confronting (and sometimes being captured by) bad guys, and still be able to hold on to all of those items.

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Haha. I understand where you're coming from. I write a lot of fiction myself, and I come across the same problem.

Do you ever look back on what you've written, and realize you've forgotten an item? I can just imagine what a pain it is to incorporate it into the scene when that part is already written.

Yes, definitely! That is a problem that has happened several times, and it is a pain!

But even the movies had some plot holes and gaffs in them.

I never looked for it in the published Indy novels, but I wonder how many gaffs there are in those books with regard to the whip, the hat, and the Webley. I know there have got to be some.

monkey said:

(apologies for making this post too long and going way off topic, I promise I won't do it again.)

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Hey, Monkey. You're a moderator. You can do what you like!

Well, kinda.

Frequently, they just go with their mistakes, even if they're plot-holes the size of Texas, and no one even notices (or cares). Except people like me, of course. I just stare at the page/screen for five minutes, annoyed with all the effort I wasted on my own stories.

Anyway... we've come the conclusion that the fedora is indeed despensable, but would be sorely missed... er... Right.

*sigh* I've got to stop getting off-topic on all my posts. However... *brightens* I have been getting better at it, as of late.

... But...

... not much...

Uh, sorry.

See, I've been having difficulties with my Internet connection, lately. So when I typed that up, yours hadn't been up yet. I actually wrote it ten-something minutes before, but never got around to sending it.

It was just a response to monkey's response to my response to his original message.

(Ha. Try following any of that. ).

monkey said:

So Indiana Jones owes me a hat!!

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*cough*<i>staples</i>*cough*

Canyon said:

Hey, Monkey. You're a moderator. You can do what you like!

Click to expand...

No you can't. Trust me.

But can we take the book as TRUE Indy Charachter when he say's..."don't worry the hat is replaceable"?

I don't think there can be any doubt about it....the fedora IS replaceable.

It's got to be.

First of all, there is simply NO way that Indiana Jones could NOT lose it from time to time.

And then there's just the simple issue of hygiene. Have you seen and read some of the places he's worn it through? Have you seen that sweaty head as he makes his way through jungles and battles through rat infested sewers?

Just ONE fedora..........yuck! That thing would be the nastiest, gnarliest thing......... I think that Indiana Jones has a bit more respect for his personal hygiene.

No, I think that the fedora is definitely replaceable. And yet at the same time it is also essential. I think that Jones hates to lose his hats, but sometimes does.

.........and when they get filthy, he replaces them.

Just Monkey's theory.

Not a bad theory! I like it. In fact I think I will adapt it into my Indy Psycie

It's a fictional charachter...we're not talking about the life and death of the planet fella

Indy said so in the books that his hat is indeed "replaceable"

Hey Ren,
I'm sure you're not calling me arrogant and ignorant.

But anyway, my guess is that a fedora is probably biodegradable, and would eventually decay, and return to the environment those elements that it took from it.

But wow, this thread is going a little bit 'out there' aint it.

Have you seen the pictures from Cassinni???

It is replaceable. The style is different in all of the movies.

Case closed!

Thanks VP

Case re-opened.

Is this topic about the Fedora or the Books?

Very interesting thread. I've read just about all of the Indy novels, including the film adaptions.

I just read the Last Crusade novel, and came across a very weird part of the story, that was definately not in the film.

After Indy retrieves the Grail diary from Elsa in Berlin, he and his father board the derigable and at this point, Indy does not have his beloved jacket. Because he was wearing the Nazi uniform, with a big overcoat covering it up.

After the scuffle with Vogel, where he tosses him out the window, he figures he needs to cut off communications from the zepplin so they can't be alerted to the Jones boys being onboard.

He sneaks in the radio room, quick scuffle with the radio man, ties him up, yanks the wires, and directly quoted from the novel:

"Then he saw a leather jacket hanging from a hook. It looked alot like his own. He couldn't resist trying it on.
Another perfect fit"

Now, this has got to be one of the worst attempts at getting Indy back into costume yet.

I also think that altho I wish it weren't so, the hat has got to be replaceable. I've owned some very favorite baseball caps in my day, and even tried washing them, so as not to have to get rid of them so soon. After awhile, you've got to give up the ghost.

And baseball caps are cotton, and can be washed. Felt can get awful ripe after a nice long adventure fighting everything from Hovitos to Nazis, and then some.

Also, Indy lost his satchell in every film. Anyone ever notice that?
In Raiders, it's left on the boat,
in TOD, it's dropped so he can grab the falling Sankara stone,even tho they screwed up editing and had him wearing it immediately after Mola Ram falls, and on the trek back to the village.
And in LC, the Grail knight slashes at him with his sword, and cuts his strap, so the bag was left on the floor.

Just an observation